The Kenan Fellows profession development institutes rejuvenated my instructional practice. It changed the way I use technology in the classroom. I have always enjoyed using technology. However, it was having time to use it and talk to other teachers about how they use it in their classroom that helped me see new options. I especially liked the inaturalist site that integrates citizen science with technology. For this project in particular students can use their phones to upload data. Giving teachers time to explore and upload picture to inaturalist project also gave me the experience I needed to introduce a similar opportunity to my students.

The Kenan Institutes gave me time to explore. I have been reflecting on the importance of exploration in my lessons because I realize it was the exploration part of my externship that inspired me to learn more about biotechnology. After thinking about the units I teach, I realized this can happen often and in simple ways. During our study of geology, I wanted students to review the rock cycle. I put a tray of rocks at the entrance of my room. I had the students pick one rock to be their pet rock. Each student wrote down the name of the rock and identified what made his/her rock unique from the other pet rocks in the room. I had each student place his/her rock on the lab tables around the outside of the room. I collected the sheets on which the students had wrote the pet rock’s name and the list of qualitative observations. Then I redistributed the sheets so each student had to look for another student’s pet rock. Each student had to use the qualitative observation to correctly identify the pet rock. As a result of this activity, the students wanted to learn more about rock types and how rocks are made. By adding a little exploratory time to the lesson, students had a purpose for learning and were eager to learn more about the rock cycle.

I have enjoyed each of the Kenan Fellows institutes. They have been informative and have provided me with many tools that I could use in the classroom this year. However, after I reviewed the agenda for the third Kenan Fellows Institute, I was disappointed that it didn’t have an instructional focus. In fact, I felt that the political focus of the institute was lacking practical application. I was wrong. I left the institute with a new goal of getting involved as a teacher advocate at a district level and a state level. Although, I do not have a clear five step procedure for how I will become a more engaged advocate, I have continued to reflect on our institute. I have also talked with teachers and administrators in my district about the institute to help gain a broader perspective. I realized that I need to help policy makers see why we need to invest in NC teachers and NC public schools. This sounds like it is too simple of message but it is at the heart of what is needed. When the Spin speakers were shocked by teachers having kids on Medicaid, I realized they had no idea how little teachers are paid. Teachers don’t participate in fifty dollar a plate lunch fundraisers but instead invest their pay into weekly classroom supplies to make lessons that are engaging and fun for their students.

The Kenan institutes provided a much needed community. I have learn so much from other Kenan Fellows. I am truly inspired by the way they work with students and I feel fortunate to be with such a wonderful group of professionals. The time I had collaborating with other Kenan Fellows has developed a supportive community that I can use to help me continue to grow.